I recently got my hands on an old Sama Export missing the top grate holder, both metal drip grates (top and bottom,) the portafilter, and lever handle. I got a portafilter and improvised a lever (another story.)

I took a risk and fortunately it paid off it seems whoever owned it took reasonable care of it. It could just have easily gone the other way towards a full repair and rebuild project. Thankfully it didn't. It's just enough to work like it should (bare bones) and little by little over time I can touch it up.

The rubber on the fill cap seal and the piston seals (3 seal piston lucky me no mods needed to seat new seals when needed) were still soft and pliable (not fossilized) but the machine did need a mild descaling and cleaning to get that antique smell out of it. I also lubed up the piston seals and action. My guess is somebody already rebuilt it at some time since the machine had no leaks or fossilized seals I could see, even before I lubed the creaky stiff action and seals. Everything works as it should and steaming power is quite good.

It was probably stored away a while. Dealing with the strong spring is a pain but I figured out a non c clamp dirty technique all of that is another story though.

This thing does not require anywhere near the amount of heat managing skills that I use on my La Pavoni pre millenium Europiccola. Overheating is not a problem with this machine (Sama Export) although I find it takes longer for the group to get up to proper temperature.


I bought this so I can have a small espresso machine to use at work. I do not want to bring Europiccola because it is dangerous to the the uninformed who may touch the beautiful exposed hot chrome boiler that takes time to cool down after turning off.

The Export is small simple, has a shrouded boiler, and gets nowhere near the skin searing temperatures of the Europiccola.


My pulls on the Export produce small volume and to get a good shot (14 grams of Oslo Odin blend using OE Pharos to grind) I need multiple lever pulls for a little over an ounce (a tad less than 1 1/2 oz.)

I half pull the lever, lock portafilter, pre infuse 10 seconds as per instructions of another HB forum member, let the lever go until there is tension, another pull with 3 second infusion, let lever go until tension, then another pull down with 3 second preinfusion, let the spring almost finish, then one last pull all the way down and allow the spring to finish on it's own of course.

I observe the stream ready to pull the cup away at the first sign of excessive blonding.

I have to say none of my shots came out burnt and even the ones that didn't look good tasted good regardless. I do prefere the flavor of the Europiccola's first two shots before it's temperature shoots up into the far regions of space but the flavor profiles are different enough from each other (Export and Europiccola) that I can only attribute this to personal taste and cannot say one makes a better espresso than the other.


I do not have to shut this machine off to cool down or cool the group the Export does that on it's own just by sitting idle at least in the time frame I use it in (about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes.) I can pull about 4 shots before I have to refill the boiler and I don't think I can knock out old grinds, clean, measure, grind, fill portafilter, tamp, lock and load fast enough to over heat the Sama. Maybe with pre loaded baskets but I don't have that kind of need to pull back to back shots.

Does this sound right ? What kind of lever dances do you guys perform to get the best out of the Export. What can I do to get the most out of this machine. I would like any advice.











Hey it works good.


I started experimenting today (10/24/2011.) Some water was left sitting in the machine overnight and this morning what came out of the group was slightly brownish tinted. It could have been coffee residue from the shots I pulled the day before but I gave the boiler a good 1/2 hour pure vinager soak with about 3 rinses before pulling any more shots.

I started with a blend of Guatamalen 2 oz, Costa rican 2 oz, Monsooned Malabar 3 oz , and Indian Kaapi Robusta 1 oz. I put the beans in my "high tech" salton popcorn popper and idiot roasted it to the first crackles of 2nd pop (experimental blend.)

Using the Pharos I ground 13.5 grams and pulled my shots. I was rewarded by a sweet chocolate and cocoa non bitter shot with medium tan crema. I was not too crazy about the lingering after taste though. It was kind of like non bitter chewing tobacco. The after taste did blend quite well with a few sips of Balblair 1997 Scotch Wiskey.

To get a shot over 1 oz I have to use two full pulls of the lever at some point. I am experimenting with short 3 second preinfusions in between how many to make the best shots is still not clear to me. For now I begin with a starting 10 second pre infusion in all cases.


I have pulled shots that were light on the crema but am hard pressed to pull an undrinkable sinker with the Export, something that can easily be done with my other machines if I get something wrong. The forgivness factor is good with the Export as far as flavor is concerned from my point of view.

I have yet to make some Capas with this mostly random choice blend using the export but the ones I made yesterday using Oslo Odin blend came out quite well. My Export has no problem steaming 12 ozs of milk into micro foam.

Wow, when I owned a Sama I simply pulled the lever, fully, once and got around 1 oz give or take and you've just demonstrated what it really takes to pull a 'real' shot. Thanks for the info.

++1

And may I recommend checking out the Bosco unit. Awesome looking! Here:http://londiniumespresso.com/products/bosco-lever-espresso-machines


Best,
-T

Well I just took it apart last night I kept getting shiny particles every time I pulled water into a cup through the group.

The espresso and filter basket kept it out of my beverages so I didn't notice until flushing. After using citric then vinagar and finally cafiza followed by multiple rinses I managed to get most of it out but not totally.

I went into scare mode and decided I had to find out what that stuff was so I fully disassembled it. Fortunately it appears this has been serviced before so nothing was rusted shut but the boiler to heater gasket although still working was kind of funky. I had to scrape and sand to get that stuff off the mating surfaces.

To make a long story short I found out the copper heating coil was letting loose some extremly light and thin flakes and my previous attempts cleaned and removed most of the stuff so I probably could have gotten away leaving it assembled until it eventually washed out. I least I now know what it is. I gave the coil a good hand brushing before reassembling.

Using some old blue paper automotive gasket material I had in the closet, I made a new boiler to heater gasket and put it together leaving all the other original gaskets in place.

It now works quite well with a little temporary light hissing at the bottom when at peak pressure but no steam or water leaks can be seen at all. I will give it some time to soak and swell. The sound may have been there before anyway.

I pulled a 1 1/2 oz shot using my experiment blend. I used a 10 sec preinfuse followed by another 3 sec preinfuse and yet another. The sugar floated on the dark tan crema for 3 seconds before sinking. The shot tasted better straight than with milk, I loved it.

I also added a new improvised lever setup that I feel looks and works better.







That Bosco looks great but the lightest one is almost 100 LBS and 240 Volts. I thought the 65 pound Brewtus was heavy. Maybe in my dreams I will own one. It is one desirable machine (Bosco) though.

Capacity of the Bosco's boiler is 7 litres, yeah, talk about weight!

My heating element blew I did let the machine run a few times with the water level below the sight glass and I did shock the element once. I also have power surges at home from time to time. I am not sure if any of those were responsible.

It didn't blow any of those times but one day I turned it on and the pressure stat light stayed lit but the machine never heated up. A resistance of infinity across the heating element coil terminals as well as from terminals to outer coil and ground confirmed it was open somewhere inside where can not be seen.

I probably will get a surge protector soon and will not run the machine with less than 1/2 the sight glass full when/if it is fixed again. I promise to avoid shocking the coil again.

I am wondering what is the best heating element for this machine, where can I get it, and will it be possible to install a thermal safety breaker (probably a surface mount type) with a minimum of fuss. It seems the old Sama Export has only a pressurestat to control temperature and an over pressure valve to prevent excessive pressure build up. The Ponte Vechio models I read have extra thermal overheat protection features.

A low water level shut off would be nice but I know installing that is anything but a minimum of fuss.

Does anyone have any ideas.

I did have fun with it while it was working.

I think orphan espresso has them. I have run the water down to the bottom of the glass many times and have not yet had a problem.

I have a new heating element (not original Ponte Vechio part) on it's way it cost me about $50.00 give or take a few dollars hopefully Sama Export will be up and running again.

Bumpety bump preliminary reports are my Sama Export is up and running as of today and ready for more fun (it is a really fun machine to play with.)

I replaced my heating element with a new one compliments of Orphan Espresso and brought a steam wand pressure gauge. The new element didn't use screw poles with nuts for the electrical wires like the old one instead it has those flat contacts that use plug in wire like the pressurestat but no problem.

I hack sawed the poles off the old element, enlarged the tiny holes in the flat contact tabs of the new element put the sawed off poles through them and bolted all connections together. I could have just crimped some slide plugs to the wire but I don't know if I have any on hand.

My Export still has a SOPAC pressure stat which I have adjusted to it's lowest setting (range 0.9 to 1.7 bar [ # PS 16.01] I think) While the machine seems to work fine the steam wand pressure gauge tells me my deadband is as wide as the grand canyon it kicks on at about 0.8 bar and turns off at about 1.3 bar.

I this normal ? ???

If need be I have a new Jauger pressure stat laying around some where that I brought a few years ago for the Brewtus and never needed to use. It should fit.

I don't mind the wide deadband in fact I can learn to temp surf it by timing how long during the heating cycle is best to begin the pull but if it's harmful or a sign of bad things to come maybe I will use another pressurestat.


But this one is fun and I would like to keep it.

I replaced a broken Mater with a CEME which fits better in the tight space. It seems to have a tight deadband, but I've never measured the pressure on either of my Exports. I just adjust them until they steam properly but not too strong. The machines are so forgiving that its almost impossible to burn the coffee, at least at the pressures I've used.

If you want my advice fill the basket as full as it will go, and adjust the grind so that the first lever pull offers enough resistence to make a slow drip at the start. As the lever rises and the drip just turns to a very slow stream gently stop the lever and pull it back down. Let er go the whole way up and you should have a perfect 30-40 ml ristretto. If you prefer, get the milk pitcher under there during that second lever rise, and you'll have a seamless blending of espresso and milk for that AM cappuccino.

PC

Okay the pressure swing is actually from 0.85 Bar to 1.25 now that I look closely. That is a 0.4 bar deadband which I don't think is too bad.

I replaced the steam valve seals finally after I noticed a very small amount of steam leaking. I should have done so from the begining instead of trying to milk as much service life as I could out of the old ones. The old stopper was hardened. That can probably be expected from a 1970's made machine. The job was simple and easy.

Now to start this morning off with a cappuccino.